Taylorville School District will enforce the mask mandate set forth by Governor JB Pritzker. According to a press release issued by Superintendent, Dr. Chris Dougherty, the mask mandate will be enforced for grades K-12 with limited times for mask breaks.  Dr. Dougherty says that she wants to create conditions and environments for children to learn and teachers to teach and wearing masks can hinder that. 

According to the local health department, if there is a positive COVID-19 case, a close contact will be defined as exposure longer than 15 minutes within 3 feet of a confirmed case of COVID.  If a child or staff emmber is a close contact, the health department has the legal authority to impose a 7-10-14 day quarantine to which the school will have to impose. If all are masked and maintain a safe distance of 3-6 feet, the individual will not be a close contact won't have to quarantine.  The ulimate goal, according to Dr. Dougherty is to keep children in school where maximum learning can occur and that can happen with mask wearing.

Dr. Dougherty says that her and the school board is committed to reviewing transmission rates and vaccination ability in an effort to phase out preventative measures around masking and social distancing, but ask that parents request cooperation until they can meet the conditions set by the Illinois Governor.

The district website has posted the reopening plan including multiple preventative measures. The Christian County Health Department has definitions of close contact and quarantine guidelines. If staff or students are vaccinated, you still must wear a mask at this time. 

School returns in session on August 18th.